Mean Green Wrecking Machine

Mean Green Wrecking Machine

This build assumes you don't want a primary arcane caster, but would like a boatload of the associated benefits that come with such status (like, for example, not being useless past L10).

The TL;DR version is Ftr6/Arcanist1/GSA10/AbjChamp3. Explanations and lengthy discussions follow.

Begin with Fighter. Yes, Fighter. Take six levels thereof.

But, wait! Does not the bible of Fighters sayeth, "Three Thou Shalt Not Take, Five Is Right Out?" presuming that six is absolutely ludicrous? Correct on both counts. But in this case, we are swapping in not one, but two alternative class features: Dungeoncrasher (Dungeonscape) and Armored Mage (CMage). The former is a key requirement, the latter is useful if you do not want to spend a huge sum of money enchanting heavy armor to ignore spell failure chance.

Anyway. Moving on. The next step is one level of an arcane casting class. Three of these come to mind. You can take Sorcerer for most flexibility and spells available per day, but slower spell advancement progression. You can take the (no longer Suel) Arcanamach for relatively quick spellcasting progression, but slightly fewer spell choices. Or you can take Knight of the Weave for highest-level spell yield, but a much more restricted spell list. (You could also take Wizard, but ... eh. Wizard.)

One level of an arcane casting class is all you need, because that fills the requirement take (and progress through) ten levels of Green Star Adept, where you pick up the Green, the Mean, and the Machine parts of your build. Depending on the class you picked, you'll end up with access to L4 (Sorcerer), L5 (Arcanamach) or L6 (Knight of the Weave) arcane spells.

Six levels of Fighter gives you the tippy top ability of the Dungeoncrasher, which is a boatload of damage (with multiplied Str) any time you shove your opponent into a wall or other hard object. You also aren't going to be overly concerned with arcane spell failure for spells of up to 7th level, but may also find that a Mithral Shirt is still the best armor around.

Best yet, you can effectively pull off that Dungeon-crash from 7th-level and on by choosing one specific spell: Blockade. A L1 Sor/Wiz spell, this spends a Swift action to put a 5'x5' wooden block in any untaken square ... like, say, right behind your opponent. Charge forth and slam your opponent upon (and maybe through) said block for ridonkulous damage.

Stats:You need Strength high. Your Dex is going to be decreased by 3 over the life of the build. Your Int score must be decent, your Cha score is going to power your spellcasting ... the one bright spot here? A high Con score is a detriment.Starting stats, before adjustments for race, should probably resemble 16/14/10/14/10/14 or similar.

Feats:You will need Combat Casting as a minimum; this is required for both Green Star Adept and Abjurant Champion. If you wish to go the route of the Arcanamach, you will also need Iron Will. Power Attack and Improved Bull Rush are also required to effectively pull off your combination.

But! You will also have to buy some interesting-looking skills with your pitiful Fighter levels. So your regional feat at first level must be Education. It also fluffs nicely with the idea that you studied obscure magic enough to decide you would like to be a green mobile statue that destroys things forever.

Feat progression should look something like this, assuming nonhuman:Education (1st), Power Attack (Ftr1), Improved Bull Rush (3rd), (Open feat) (Ftr4), Combat Casting (6th).If you are going with Arcanamach and do not want to take Human as a race, shift Imp. Bull Rush to 4th and take Iron Will at 3rd.

Henceforth you are free to take about anything you want, although I recommend taking at least one if not several iterations of Improved Toughness.